Changes
by switches
Summary: Nick's life is changing. 50 shorts, mostly gen but with some Ellis/Nick slipped in there.


**A/N: **This is just a collection of sentences and short snippets. It's mostly gen and mostly from Nick's POV but there are others in here, and a little bit of Ellis/Nick mixed in.

Constructive criticism is appreciated.

**01** Alone

Their snores are loud in his ears and the air is too full of life for his tastes- Nick hadn't felt this surrounded since his former wife started to sleep in the guest room instead.

**02** Strengths

Cards and lies are where he feels the most comfortable, his true colors shine vibrantly across the poker table, and the ease with which deceit slides off his tongue is as close as Nick ever gets to perfection.

**03** Happiness

He chokes on laughter and good scotch as Ellis flounders with a tall blonde bombshell at the bar, smitten with his cute little accent, and Nick almost cries when the kid spills his beer on her.

**04** A Bet

"20 bucks says we pull that lever, the horde comes, and we all die in terrible, painful ways."

**05** Move Forward

He barely glances back as he puts a bullet between the eyes of what was once a woman- one who had probably had hopes and dreams and a life of her own- and stays resolutely on the course ahead of him.

**06** Second Chance

Strong arms pull him up and grimy fingers force a few pills in his mouth, but it's that damn smile of his that gives Nick that painful feeling of relief.

**07** Future

"I'm going to get at least five hookers and all the goddamn blow I can get my hands on." Nick states easily, and almost laughs at the outraged stares he receives for his trouble.

**08** Seeing Red

The blood is thick and running down his face and for a moment the world is coated in a ruby tint and he had to wonder if this was how _they _saw it all.

**09** Pure

Their blood was tainted forever, they'd never be clean again, but all things considered they counted themselves lucky.

**10** White Smoke  
He breathed out nothing but smoke right near Rochelle's face and got slammed with a skillet for his troubles- playing around with such heavily armed individuals hadn't been a smart idea.

**11** Savior  
Nick clung to the edge of the building, not wanting to scream due to the Witch walking nearby, but he almost cried out in relief when two arms pulled him to safety.

**12** Three

Their numbers swiftly plummet as a long tongue snakes around a leg and suddenly Nick is clawing for purchase on rain-slick concrete as the torrential rains keep crashing down around them.

**13** Feelings

Words just do so little, sometimes, and the firm pressure of Ellis at his side, keeping the horde at bay with him, says more than his lips ever could.

**14** Everyday  
They trudge on endlessly, day after day, for a helicopter that may not be there, for salvation that may have already passed them by.

**15** First Meeting

_What a lousy batch of people to be with at the end of the world_, Nick had thought as the helicopter clipped away from the building, his head full of screams that the others gave voice to.

**16** Rejection

When the kid first grabs him by the back of his head and smashes their mouths together Nick can only struggle and bite and shove the damn fool away from him as fast as he can.

**17** Close To You

He pretends to not notice when Ellis and Rochelle have both somehow come to settle against opposite sides of him, but the amused look Coach shoots him is enough to earn him a scowl.

**18** Carry On

"Come on, Nick, get up." Coach demanded, and he didn't give the man time to recover before he slung his arm over his shoulder and all but carried him into the safe room- an overgrown rag doll.

**19** Simple Reason

"'Cause it's cold, a'course," _seemed_ simple enough reason for the redneck to spoon in close to him- at least, it would have been so simple, if the heat hadn't kept Nick up the whole night.

**20** Yesterday

The day before had been filled with beautiful southern women, good booze, and prospects of easy victories. Today was nothing but death and gore and the air being sucked out of his very lungs.

**21** At Least Once

"C'mon, try it Nick!" Ellis insisted with a wide grin, and Nick grudgingly took a sip of the homemade moonshine. 12 hours later, he woke up on the roof of a dentists' office with no memory of how he'd gotten there- and without his pants.

**22** Goodbye

A hand ghosted over the poor girl's eyes and Nick let out a shuddering sigh, bloodstained hands rubbed at his temples. She may have been a one night stand, but no girl should have turned into _that, _and certainly she'd deserved better than a heavy-duty lamp to the skull.

**23** Jealousy

"Coach, why does a man like you get to look so good in polos? I always look like I belong at a damn country club- you've got style, man. You're killing me here." His ridiculous remarks earn him nothing but the occasional chuckle and a rap of a fist against his shoulder.

**24** Under The Moon

That boyish charm and the sharp flash of his teeth highlighted by the moon made for an appealing image that Nick almost couldn't banish with the coming daylight.

**25** Voice

It's late in the night when he comes down from a fever, his throat raw and aching, when he realizes it had been him telling stories for once, and he hadn't been interrupted a single time.

**26** Warmth

Hot and sticky with sweat, Nick knew he never wanted to leave the northern part of the country again. He wanted snow and ice and blizzards and he never wanted to live in fear of alligators again.

**27** Myself  
It had always been him, himself, alone. He wasn't used to plurals and others, but as he watched them sleep during his shift, he realized he'd already been thinking as an _us _for a while now.

**28** Indulge in the Moment

Ignoring the fact they were headed towards what Nick assumed was certain death, they relaxed on the dock of the boat and watched the clouds roll by, pointing and laughing away the sun.

**29** Blue Moon

Rochelle had to smile as Nick gave his health pack to Coach without a moment's hesitation, even going the extra length to wrap up the cuts he'd gained from their days battle. It was good to see the man learning the basics of being human.

**30** Promise

"We're all going to make it across this goddamn bridge even if we have to climb back up it with our bare hands, y'hear?" And they all agreed- they'd come too damn far to fail now.

**31** These Words

When the radio cracked to life with a reply- _they're still here! they'll still save us!- _they almost wept with joy.

**32** Only You

He's not one for stroking egos when he isn't going to get anything out of it, but he can't resist pushing his lips against Ellis' ear to mutter something low and sweet, just to see his eyes light up and his smile grow.

**33** Worries

"This is going to cost a damn fortune to fix. It'd be cheaper to buy a new suit at this rate. But my skin, now that's another problem. I'll have to soak in a tub for weeks to get the smell of swamp water and zombie brains off of me."

**34** Pride

Even as the world goes to hell he still straightens his clothes and slicks his hair back every morning. Not a thing out of place, he faces the horde daily like he'd had all the time in the world to gussy himself up for it. It's not just vanity that drives him- he's determined not to let these bastards take his composure away from him.

**35** Top Of The World

Ellis crowed and whooped as they slid down the jumbo slide in Kiddie Land while his teammates wondered how the kid had talked them into it.

**36** Lucky

Every scar on his body was a testament to his winning streak- ugly, yes, but ultimately better than the alternative.

**37** Silence

Endless sobs and cries wailed and echoed against the walls of the mill but not so much as a whisper passed their lips, too scared to break the careful peace with but an utter.

**38** Light Rain

The steady drizzle made the dirt into mud and he would have agonized over the damage to his pants if they hadn't already been caked in carnage and muck.

**39** If I Could Change The Past

"I could be in Vegas right now- no don't you fucking laugh at me, Rochelle. I could. But _no, _I reasoned. More saps in Georgia. Should have fucking figured heading past the Mason-Dixon line was one hell of a bad idea."

**40** Spring

The mattress squeaks beneath them and Nick had to wonder how they managed to fit all three of them on the single full-sized bed they found in the safe room but he can't complain even as Coach snores loud in his ear.

**41** If You Smile

Ellis' fingers are quick and everywhere and Nick is threatening to beat the little shit to death in between laughs, his face stretched into smile as he tries to keep from squealing.

**42** Reach Out

Nick holds his hand out with ease and grabs Ellis' hand as he makes it to the helicopter, pulling the younger man aboard. They'd shared a quick, relieved sort of smile as they turned to help the other two up.

**43** Do Anything

"I'd stop cheating on my taxes." "I'd go back n' finish high school, 'prolly." "I'd retire already and head to Goddamn Hawaii." "You boys are damn foolish, I just got the break of a damn lifetime. I wouldn't have done anything different."

**44** Alcohol

They'd all kill for something, anything, to ease the pain and take their minds off of the task at hand. When they finally find a bottle of Jack stashed in the back of a safe room it becomes a quick contest to see who can out drink the others. They all lose terribly, having not eaten in days, and wake up to a hangover that's somehow worse than the zombies.

**45** Heated

He yells and rages and Ellis is yelling right back at him while Rochelle and Coach go out to find supplies. They scream until they can't remember what they were screaming about and before they know it it's back to comfortable and familiar taunts and jabs, as if it hadn't happened at all.

**46** Signs

CEDA's notes and warnings went largely ignored and really, how had they even had time to make all those damn things, let alone post them on every flat surface known to fucking man?

**47** Pull Through

Cold metal paddles sent jolts and shocks through his body and his eyes snapped open again, surprised to still be alive. He wheezed and coughed and laughed at their scared expressions, full of wonder and something else that anyone would ever care enough to save him like that.

**48** Differences

He liked soy milk and fast cars and easy women while Ellis loved whole milk, sturdy cars, and honest women. He really wondered how all of that added up to what they had going on but figured trying to make sense of it would be a lost cause.

**49** First Impression

He had been unimpressed with them at first, but halfway down the building he realized he had joined with some tough bastards, and he marveled again at how Lady Luck had smiled down on him.

**50** Epilogue

Tucked away, safe at last, they all laughed and laughed until their lungs ached and their throats burned and their eyes stung from the tears that fell openly now. Free to be just a little crazy; a break from their self-enforced sanity.


End file.
